UK government to implement age verification on porn sites by April 2018

The UK government is moving forward with plans to implement provisions outlined in the revised Digital Economy Act which achieved Royal Assent in April. Digital Minister Matt Hancock on Monday signed the act’s commencement order, dictating that, among other things, websites hosting adult content must soon verify that visitors are of legal age to view such content.

By verify, I don’t simply mean that they’ll be required to ask visitors to enter their (not real) birth dates.

The new age verification process, expected to be in place by April 2018, hasn’t been fully hammered out but could resemble methods used by gambling sites. For example, those surfing for porn may be required to provide credit card details to verify their age as credit cards can’t be legally issued to minors.

While welcomed news for some, it’s certain to ruffle the feathers of others.

Digital Minister Hancock said the Digital Economy Act is about building a strong, safe and connected economy, adding that it will secure better support for consumers, better protection for children on the Internet and underpin a radical transformation of government services.

Will Gardner, CEO of Internet safety charity Childnet, concurs. The executive said protecting children from exposure – including accidental exposure – to adult content is incredibly important given the effect it can have on young people.

Jim Killock, executive director of Open Rights Group, isn’t quite convinced. Killock believes age verification could lead to porn companies building databases of the UK’s porn habits which could be vulnerable to Ashley Madison-style hacks.